[Interview] Why retailers love to sit down with Planet B

Planet B, the activist scale-up behind the sustainable brands Wondr and Powr, competes with multinationals that have large marketing budgets. That means you have to be creative and agile in the battle for attention.

Testing and scaling up

Digital dominates Planet B’s marketing mix: “Without massive above-the-line campaigns, without blindly throwing darts at a dartboard and hoping one hits the bullseye, we try to test online as much as possible to see which messages resonate best,” says Ruben Renaer, Chief Digital Officer at the sustainable company. “What do people respond to, and what questions do they ask? We don’t draw up an annual plan from an ivory tower, but take a quarter-by-quarter approach: what’s trending, what’s working, what can we test, and what can we scale up?”

At Retail Marketing Day, on September 24 in Brussels, he’ll share more about the company’s marketing approach, which often features surprising initiatives. There are recurring campaign moments, such as Wondr’s “Boobie Bar,” in collaboration with Think Pink. It’s a shower bar shaped like a breast, designed to remind women when it’s time to check their breasts. The holiday gift-giving season at the end of the year is also important for Wondr.

Emotions people want to share

Throughout the year, Planet B capitalizes on themes that are relevant to the company or that are current in the world. “Reach is our most important metric in these cases. We want to ensure that people encounter Wondr, Powr, and Planet B in various ways. Sometimes very serious or educational, but always with a certain ‘edge,’ to bring the message to life on social media. It has to evoke an emotion that people want to share.” The recently launched campaign on microplastics is a prime example.

Through paid advertising, Planet B then aims to convert that reach and awareness into purchases—via platforms such as Google, AI, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, among others. “We also engage in influencer marketing in various ways. Sometimes we simply send out packages with no obligation to do anything with them—though we often find that they do end up creating content. We also have brand ambassadors who can earn a commission when they promote our products. We form partnerships with other brands, such as the Pink Box.”

Targeting key moments

The challenge is that Planet B combines various sales channels. E-commerce remains the most important channel, accounting for about 50% of group revenue. “In addition, we sell through specialty retailers, such as pharmacies or lifestyle stores like Juttu. Our sales team works with supermarket chains and independent retailers. And then there are our own stores in Leuven, Ghent, and Antwerp. That doesn’t make it easy, but it also gives us a competitive advantage over brands that are present in only one channel.”

“Retailers are eager to sit down with us because they know we reach Gen Z effectively. That’s a bit more difficult for some supermarkets.” That said, Planet B doesn’t strictly limit itself to Gen Z: “We target life stages when people make decisions about their purchasing behavior. For example, when they move out on their own, move in with a partner, have a baby, move into a dorm, or graduate… Those major turning points often serve as pivotal moments: that’s when people show a greater willingness to think about the products they use. Will I keep buying the same brands my parents buy? Which laundry detergent is safe for baby clothes? We capitalize on these moments to give our products a chance. That’s how we challenge the industry. Ideally, we’d love for everyone to follow our lead, but that’s not happening just yet.”

Taking risks

In addition to the corporate brand Planet B, Renaer has two brands to promote: Wondr and Powr. How does he maintain the balance? “We’re going for ‘endorsed branding.’ Since the beginning of this year, we’ve been trying to bring Planet B a bit more to the forefront; we also put‘made on Planet B’on every package so people will start to recognize it. If a brand is under the Planet B umbrella, people know they can expect it to be free of harmful ingredients, single-use plastic, and so on. We now have a Planet B website where you can shop for both Wondr and Powr. If we add even more new brands to our portfolio in the future—which is our ambition—they’ll be able to ride the wave of Planet B’s brand recognition. We’re thinking, for example, of oral care, menstrual products, and other personal care items that fit into our portfolio.”

Is there a formula for going viral? “We always say,‘Be fearless.’ At the time of the merger between Planet B and Brauzz, we sort of ‘broke into’ each other’s spaces—that was posted on LinkedIn—and in the comments, people said, ‘You guys should collaborate.’ When we announced the merger a week later, that message stuck.” An approach that isn’t without risks? “Of course, there were negative reactions too, but by then everyone had heard of us. It’s a fine line, but ultimately we didn’t do anything unethical. As a small company with limited budgets, you need those kinds of growth hacks.”

Ruben Renaer of Planet B will share more at RetailDetail’s Retail Marketing Day on September 24 at Trademart Brussels. Also on stage that day: Albert Heijn, Ava, Vanhalst Retail Group (Dreambaby, Supra Bazar, Kabine), and more speakers to be announced soon. Tickets and info via the button below.